Russiafloatsout2ndfrigateforIndianNavy

A Russian shipyard took out of dry dock on Wednesday the second of three frigates being built for India's Navy, a Yantar spokesman said.

A Russian shipyard took out of dry dock on Wednesday the second of three frigates being built for India's Navy, a Yantar spokesman said.

The ceremony for the Tarkash frigate in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad was attended by senior Russian and Indian military and civilian officials.

The first of three Project 11356 frigates, named the Teg, was floated out last November. The third frigate, Trikand is due to be delivered in 2011-12.

The warships will become modified Krivak III class (also known as Talwar class) guided missile frigates for the Indian Navy under a $1.6 billion contract signed in July 2006.

The new frigates will be armed with eight BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

They will be also equipped with a 100-mm gun, a Shtil surface-to-air missile system, two Kashtan air-defense gun/missile systems, two twin 533-mm torpedo launchers, and an antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopter.